Demergerettes prove to be Westmount’s women for all seasons

But when the office closed its doors after one borough election and a successful demerger referendum had taken place, another group’s roots had also been established.

The demergerettes or demergettes, depending on who you speak to, were the core group of about eight to 10 women who put in an almost daily effort throughout the demerger drive. Coming from different backgrounds, and possessing different special skills, they represented some of the best of Westmount’s wealth of quality volunteers.

“Everyone seemed to fall into a job they were really good at,� said City Councillor Nicole Forbes.

“This is why we’re so lucky in Westmount: we have so much talent,� said Forbes, who headed the demerger office and is one of the demergerettes. “And it’s unsung talent, because it’s all volunteers and volunteers aren’t recognized enough.�

From the office, the demergerettes were integral in keeping citizens in the know on demerger issues as well as mobilizing and informing voters when the time came for them to actually cast their ballots.

“During that time we had lots of people coming in and a lot of people coming in on a regular basis,� said Forbes. “And the ones who stayed later on, I guess we formed a special bond.�

That bond was a lasting one. The demergerettes can, on occasion, be found at Magnan’s restaurant catching up on what’s been going on in each other’s life. “We meet once a month, we try, we may only meet once in the summer,� said Forbes.

To the untrained eye, the demergettes may look like a social club, exchanging phone calls and e-mails on special occasions, and attending the lively monthly lunches, but there is more to it than that.

“It’s not just a social thing,� said demergerette Diana Hendy. “We’re doing whatever we can for the city.�

The demergerettes have become a strong volunteer network in Westmount. “I know that if I don’t have enough volunteers coming out of the city... I always involve the demergerettes,� said Forbes.

Just this week, the demergerettes received and e-mail from Forbes requesting their help for an upcoming Westmount event. “We can give each other the time that we can,� she said. “If they have a special project, they’ll call on the rest of us, it’s not only me.�

Hendy said the monthly lunch meetings are more of a status report on each others’ goals and projects rather than a social luncheon.

“I’m very glad the day I walked in there (the office), but I really admire these women,� said Hendy. “They’re very dedicated and always fighting for the underdog and I think we’re different in our own ways, which is great.�

Next time you’re at a city council meeting or a civic event, look around for the group of women who seem to be having more fun than political procedure usually allows, and chances are you’ve spotted the demergerettes.